No case made out for granting special category status to Bihar: Centre

NEW DELHI: As the BJP’s key ally in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), JD (U) demanded a special status category for Bihar, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, in a written reply, said that special status cannot be granted to Bihar as per the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) report 2012.

Chaudhary in a written reply to the question of JDU MP Ramprit Mandal informed Lok Sabha, “The Special Category Status for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council (NDC) to some States that were characterized by a number of features necessitating special consideration. These features included (i) hilly and difficult terrain, (ii) low population density and/or sizeable share of tribal population, (iii) strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries, (iv) economic and infrastructural backwardness and (v) non-viable nature of State finances. The decision was taken based on an integrated consideration of all the factors listed above and the peculiar situation of the State. Earlier, the request of Bihar for Special Category Status was considered by an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) which submitted its Report on 30th March 2012. The IMG came to the finding that based on existing NDC criteria, the case for Special Category Status for Bihar is not made out.”